Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris) – Around Florida in the United States.

Habitat

West Indian manatees live in estuarine, fresh and marine waters. The Antillean subspecies stay further out in the sea than their Florida cousins.

West Indian Manatee Food Chain

West Indian Manatee Habitat

Behavior

They are a solitary creature, rarely forming groups and even so, temporarily. Juvenile males sometimes form herds because of their exclusion from partaking in reproductive activities, and adult males may congregate around a female in estrus.

They are active during the day and night, but rest for a few hours, either near water surface or at the bottom.

They are a migratory mammal and do so to adapt to fluctuating water temperatures.

Diet

West Indian manatees consume around 60 plants including sea grasses forming their primary food source. They also eat small invertebrates and fish.

West Indian Manatee Eating

West Indian Manatee Images

Mating & Reproduction

They breed once every 3-5 years. A female in estrus attracts up to 20 males who pursue her for about a week and sometimes up to a month. The female often mates with more than one male. After a gestation period of 11-14 months, she gives birth to a single calf, although twin births have also been observed on occasion.

Life-cycle

Offspring are born with molars and premolars so that they can start consuming sea grass soon after birth. They stay dependent upon their mothers for the first two years of their life. Males reach sexual maturity by the time they are between 9 and 10 years old, while females become mature when they are 4-5 years old, but become successful mothers between 7-9 years of age.

Baby West Indian Manatee

The West Indian Manatee

Lifespan

They live for around 30 years in the wild.

Sounds & Communication

They use tactile, visual and chemical means to communicate with each other. Mothers and their offspring communicate with each other through squeals and squawks.

Adaptations

Since West Indian manatees feed on grass growing on the sea floor, their snouts are bent downwards so as to facilitate the grasping their food.

They have sensitive whiskers all over their body which are known as vibrissae. These whiskers aid them in navigation and tactile communication.

Their forelimbs are evolved into flippers to help them to swim. These flippers have 3-4 nails.

Their lungs are equal to the length of the body and run along the spine to keep them afloat. Regulating the air capacity within the lung, they can move around in the water without having to swim.

The foods that they eat often wear away their teeth, which are replaced by new ones throughout their life. This is called ‘marching molars.’

They use their tail to propel themselves forward in the water, where they are rather agile.

Predators

They do not have any natural predators.

West Indian Manatees

West Indian Manatee Pictures

IUCN Conservation Status

The IUCN has categorized the West Indian manatee under their ‘Vulnerable’ list.

Why is the West Indian manatee endangered

While not yet classified as endangered, their numbers have been on a decreasing trend over the past few decades. The primary reason behind this downswing is constant hunting for their hide and meat. Illegal poaching and unfortunate collisions with water-crafts also kill many of these marine mammals annually.

Population

Currently, their population is estimated to be less than 2,500 mature individuals.

Interesting Facts

The closest living terrestrial relative of this animal are elephants. The features that they share are the nails at the end of their appendages, and the prehensile upper lip.

Snooty, a captive-born West Indian manatee at a Florida aquarium is 68 years old as of 2017, well over the average lifespan of its species.